Camp Near City P^t, Va.

Aug^st 24^th/64.

 

My Dear Mother & Father,

                        I will try my hand this evening at penning you a few lines as I have not had the opportunity for the past five days, for our Train has been on the go night and day carrying wounded from the Fifth Corps Hospitals to City Point. But thank the good Lord we have finally emptied their Hospitals and a tired lot of boys we were when we had finished our job, and our horses were as a general thing pretty well played out. you / see Mother, we had been laying idle so long, it came rather tough on us, but only renewed our appetites.

 

We have two loads of sick to remove from the ninth Corps. When I speak of two loads, I mean two train loads. we generally have about one hundred ambulances on such trips. It is reported tonight that Petersburg is ours & also that the 2^nd Corps have made another raid on the left cutting the only remaining road belonging to the Johnies (The Dalton Road). The Fifth Corps still hold the Weldon Road & the Rebs charged their lines all / last evening but their was no use their knocking the couldn't come in. the ground was litterally strewn with gray backs. I tell you Mother they will strike their own death blow one of these days, let us hope & pray. Trusting that God is still with us in our struggle, it is all for the best. as an old slave told me the other day, says he, its a curse on our Masters. he said whenever they (the slaves) were caught holding any kind of a religious meeting they were tied up & whipped by their master, and I was talking to an old / colored woman she told me the same story. she said it was very seldom she was allowed to go to meeting, but when she did go, she tried to remember all she heard of the Blessed Jesus, and finally she was converted & she said she felt as if she would like to have every one journey along with her Heavenward. she said it hurt her to keep her good feelings all to herself & every chance you she would get she would talk to the little white children & try to teach them to look to Jesus. & she was often caught talking to them in that way & her master would / strip all the clothes off her body & lay the raw hide on until she would some times fall at his feet senseless. But she said nothing could remove that feeling from her heart it seemed as though God would speak to her & tell her to press upward & onward & she would receive her reward. now Mother what do you think, is not this war all for the best, are not the poor slaves receiving their rewards on earth before going to that home above. My health is excellent. I hope this may find you the same. I hav'nt received a letter from Jersey yet. I dont / know the reason. I hope you will write until I do receive one & address as I told you to City Pt. for their is no signs of our joining our Corps any time soon. well Mother I must not forget to tell you that my Boys picked up a cow the other day & well now dont we live. she gives a good mess of milk. we had onions & good roast beef for dinner today & baked beans for supper, but I must close I hope I shall hear from you May God bless & keep you from sickness & harm. Your loving Son Al.

Serg^t Amb. Train, 3^d Div. 6^th Corps

City Point, Va.

           

(in haste

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